Electrically-operated valve for pneumatic musical instruments.



FA W. SMITH.

ELECTRICALLY GP TED VALVE FOR PIIEUII/IATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

NE 24, I915.

APPLICM ION FILED IL! Patented June 27, I916.

Lwesam referir,

Specification of Letters Patent..

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed June 2e, 191.55. Serial No. Gfe.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l. Fnnnnincn lV. SMi'rH, a subject of Great Britain,(who has declared his intention oi becoming a citizen or' the UnitedStates) residing at North Tonawanda, county ot' Niagara, and State ofNew York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlllectrically- Operated Valves for Pneumatic Musical Instruments, ofwhich the following is a. specification.

rlhis invention relates to electrically operated valves for pneumaticmusical instruments.

My invention relates to that type of electrically operated valve whereinthe valve is a disk, under the control of an eectromagnet, and isadapted to control the action of a pneumatic. which in turn, actuateslarger valves that control the access of wind pressure of an organ pipe.Valves of this general type normally prevent access of atmosphericpressure to a bellows pneumatic and when attracted Yby energization ofthe electro-magnet, uncover a port which lets in atmospheric pressure.structed, this type of electrically operated valve has been subject tothe very serious defect that small particles or obstructions are drawnin through the atmospheric port or through the wind chest and lodge onthe diskvalve or its seat and in the course of time prevent its properaction by keeping it 'from closely fitting its seat.

My object is to provide, in an electrically operated valve oli theailove-mentioned type, a valve seat and casing of ii'nprovedconstruction which will insure accurate and close seating of the diskvalve at all times, despite the ,access ot' any obstructions or dustparticles and which will guide the valve, without the necessity ofproviding special guiding pins or other devices.

The invention is carried out bythe provision, inA connection with a diskvalve, of a valve casing having a circular recess slightly larger thanthe valve which serves as a guide therefor and, further. a circular seatwhich has a sharp edge and a tapered or4 beveled wall leading Jfrom saidedge to the shell or casing. The sharp edge ot' the seat :Nid thebeveled wall thereof perform the twofold function ot'preventinglodginent of any obstructions or dust particles and of a knifeAs heretofore cone' edge engagement with the disk elve, the latter beingpreferably provided with a paper or leather tacing to cause it to moreiriinly engage said knife edge seat and to prevent it trom adhering tothe poles ot' the elettro-magnet.

The invention is set forth fully hereinafter and its improved featuresare recited in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure Il is a sectional view through apressure vrind chest showing the application ot' the invention theretoto illustrate its use; Fig.

2. a detail View looking toward the inner" faceot' the outer part of theshell or easing, dotted lines representing the valve; 3, a detail viewlooking toward the inner Atace of the bottoni plate. showing the polesof the magnet inserted therein, dotted lines representing the valve;Fig. Ll, a longitudinal section through Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a cross sectionthrough the valve seat oit' Fig. 2, Fig. G, a longitudinal sectionthrough the complete valve mechanisin, parts of the electroniagnet beingbroken away; and Fig. 7, a detail of the disk valve.

The invention has been shown applied to a pressure wind chest toillustrate its use, but its novelty resides in the featureshereinbcl'iorc set forth and not in its combination with such vvindchest.

Referring to Fig. l, the numeral l represents a pressure wind chest fromwhich lead passages, of which only one, 2, is shown, to the organ pipes.Valves 8 and. l carried by a stem 5 and operated by a bellows pneuniaticcontained Wit-hin the chamber l, constitute the means 'for controllingthe access oi" pressure to passage 2. The electrically operated valve isemployed for controlling the access of atmospheric or arti icialpressure to the bellows 6 through the port or passage 7. The valve chestor casing consists ot a bottom plate 8 which .is suitably fastened ontop of the wind chest and has a port 9 communicating with the port orpassage 7.' Ports l() extend' through the plate 8 and communicate withthe space 1l which leads to the interior chamber 1. The electro-magnet'l2 has its poles 13 eX- tending through the plate S and their upperends exposed on the. upper face thereof. `A suitable circuit 14 leads tothe organ key controlling the particular pipe and'on the 12 is energizedand its poles 13 become magnetic.

The parts thus far described are well known and I lay no claim thereto.

My improvement consists in the parts hereinafter set forth.

b'urmounting the plate 8 and suitably depressiin of such key, theelectroanagnet connected thereto in any perferred manner is the shell oreasingr 15 which may be kept in proper relation to the plate by pins 16.This shell or casing has an air passage 17 which is in connnunicationwith the port 9 at one end and at its other end it is enlarged and is ofcircular form, as shown at 18, and Centrally of said circulaipart is araised and depending circular valve seatI 19 With which an atmosphericport 2O communicates. The said seat has a circular knit'e edge 21 and abeveled or sloping circular wall 22.

The disk valve 23 is of magnetizable mate 'rial and on its oppositesidesis provided with faeings of leather or paper 2l and 25 which arepasted or cemented thereto. The disk valve is of less thickness than thedistance between the knife edge 21. and the top of the plate 8 so thatit has an adaptability for movement toward the plate 8 when theelectro-magnet 12 is energized. The said valve is of slightly sir-allerdiameter than the circular guide 18 w h retains and houses it in itsniovementa Normally the wind pre sure in. the chain.- ber 1 being in ofthe atmospheric pressure, the valve is held against its seat and thepressure from the chamber 1 passes through the ports 10 and both holdsthe valve'against its seat and permits the wind pressure to pass intoport or passage andto expand the bellows 6, thus closing; valve 3 andkeeping v open so that the passage 2 is vented the key controlling theelentrena-in.. l` is depressed., the nia netiization ot saidelectro-inag'net attracts the disk valve and it leaves its seat andcloses ythe ports l0 and opens port 2Onl whereupon the greater pressurein chamber 1, aeting on bellows 6 collapses said bellows, opening valve3 and closing valve 4, there upon allowing the Wind pressure in cha1nber 1 to enter passage and sound the organ pipe communi(uiting,7therewith. 0n the release of the key, the superior pressure in chamherl, restores the parts to normal pon Sition.

lleretofore particles of foreign material, dust, etc., either from theatmosphere or the .pressure wind chest` have interfered 'with theoperation of the disk valve by getting on its"face or its seat,allowing' leakage and otherwise preventing.,r accurate operation.

lith my invention, actualftrsts have shown that this reinediefil whichdue practically rely to the the valve wall 92 fairrouinlingz said seat.The knife edge prewrits particles troni lodging on the seat and t'iieinclined wall assists i shedding "them, beside whieln the lrnile edgeforms a very tight lit with the paper or leather covering;- ol theValve. The provision oli' the circular valve guif'le oliviates thenemessity of providing special guiding pins or devices such asliavehereto'liinje been employed.

Having` thus described my invention, what I claim new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrically operated valve for pneumatic musical instruments,a valve shell having a circular concavity constituting a valve guide, aport communicating with the .central portion ot said eoneavity,acircular knife edge valve-seat risingr coneentrieally within saidconcavity around said port and having an outer circular inclined walldeclining from said lini'lfe edge to the bottoni of said concisa/ily, afree circular magnetizable disk valve located loosely within. thecircular eoncavity and adapted to bear against said knife edge seat,said disl; valve being ol'liut slightly `v diameter 'than the eoncavityand adapted to he solely guided, by the walls of said concavity whenepenini'g' and closing the aforesaid port, and an eleetrounagnet whosepoles are arranged opposite the concavity, saidvalve heing adapted toplay between said poles` and said knife edge seat.

2. In an electrically operated valve for pl'ieuniatie musicalinstrinnents a valve shell having port, an air elianneh, 4a circulareol'ieavity constituting a valve guid s, and a circular linil'e ed -ivalve seat rising eoneen within said eonravity having a cirrclined walldeeliniinr e( e the bottoni of said eonravity. Mid valve seat liningsiir vom iuniration with the port aforesiid, an elentro-nieguet .whosepoles are d said valve shell having a port adju `ent said poles aredisguised opposite the valve seat, valve located loosely within thecircular eoneavity aforesaid and adapted to hear against said kn e edgeseat. said disk valve being of hat slightly less d' fr than the circularconravity and adapted to lie solely guided hy the walls oi saidronravity when openingl and elosinif thi ports aforesaid.

lili. l DNR! CK W. SMIT ll. TWitnesses ll. d. Emmi/rr, (liras. S.(lirios.

l Eil from sa id1 life edge 2l of at and te the tapered i inclined'posed opposite the valve seat,`

lis

